Hi everyone, I'm getting great advice and opinions on other topics on this forum so I would like some views on a horse my hubby has looked at.

My husband is looking for a confident trail riding horse and went out to view a few that a woman had for sale not far from our home. He rode a 6 year old gelding Standardbred. He came in from the field when called. He saddled and bridled well. He rode him in the mountains for about 2.5 hours. There were many distractions like wild horses snorting running away from him. Nothing fazed this horse. They trotted and cantered on the trail as well. He's not as well trained as my horse with regards to seat and leg pressure which I have read is common with OTT Standies.My husband enjoyed riding him and his woah is perfect.

So, we had a vet come do a health check on him. Here's what he said. He has a first grade heart murmur, has been pin fired, and needs his teeth done in about a year. The vet commented on his quiet disposition. The vet had the owner trot him in front of him for quite a few minutes. Should we be concerned about the heart murmur? The vet said it is common in horses. He'll mainly be used for trail riding. He has done endurance trails and done very well. My hubby likes this horse a lot and we can trial him for two weeks before making a final decision. Thoughts?

I don't know if horses are like humans, but my 86 year old and very healthy father has always had a heart murmur.
I think he sounds pretty nice. Teeth needing doingmeans nothing. they always need to be done, as you know.
What does "pin fired" mean?

Ask your vet if he would buy him for that price! They should be honest if they are a good vet!

My vet does not fail or pass a horse, but tells me what is wrong, and what are the steps to resolve or manage the issue. She also will give me a rough (very rough) estimate of what it would cost to take care of that issue to see if the horse is worth it. (for example I found a horse for 1k, could have cushings and that would cost thousands in the long run.) You want a horse that has minimal issues.

I do know that horses, unlike humans and most animals, genetically do not have huge heart issues because they do not use the entire potential of their heart (unless jumping or racing, ect) so a heart murmur might not be a major thing for a trail horse.

Hi tinyliny, I have to say I admire your advice on a lot of the threads. I have googled pin firing myself and it is done to race horses, I do believe. I'm not really positive as to why and maybe someone else with more knowledge here could comment.

Hi Bethy,I'm waiting for the vet to fax me his report so I can look at it closer. He told me so much on the phone that I really need to take my time reading and taking in the information. After I review it, I'll give him a call to discuss more indepth. I have done some internet searches on horse heart murmurs. This could be an issue for a horse that is a jumper or other strenuous sport but trail riding around the mountains should be okay. That is a question I will ask his opinion on. I know there is no guarantee, and he could live to be 30 or drop dead at 9. This really sucks for my hubby. He is such a great horse very well suited for him.

Heart murmurs are indeed quite common in horses, although they're usually found in animals much older than 6.

As far as the pin firing, that's a race track thing. Doesn't necessarily mean he was ever lame or injured, just that they might have done it as a matter of course.

If your vet likes the animal and he isn't also the seller's vet, I'd take his word on not worrying too much about the horse's issues.

The important things are that your husband likes him, and he's an even tempered, sane animal.

Make sure to get the 2 week trial agreement in writing, with the terms and conditions spelled out plainly.

Oh hi Speedracer, I missed your reply. He's not the sellers vet. I called and found one to go out in her area. He knows my vet in my city very well.

His temperment is fantastic! Even the vet commented on it. She offered teh trial which for us is a good sign of faith in her horse. We've come across some sellers that want cash and take the horse that day types. We high tail it real fast. lol. Thanks for the info on the pin firing too.

He sounds like what you are looking for, a trial is always a plus, and if the vet says the heart murmur isn't a big deal and his legs appeared clean from the vetting out, I'd do the trial and decide from there. My vet does something similar to Bethy's, he doesn't pass or fail but more says what are you using him for, how much are you paying and yes its worth it or not its not. Most vets are pretty good about letting you know if they are good for what you need.

Hi all, I received the faxed report and wondering if I could get some comments on something. The vet said it was nothing to worry about but I've never heard of it before. The gelding bleeds from the nose slightly when exercised. Apparently this is from being an ex racer. He acted as though it was no big deal when talking to my husband. But I don't understand why does he bleed? I'm going to talk to my vet tomorrow about him.

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